Breaking Free
by Once Upon A Star Trek
Summary: Unable to take it anymore, Regina tries to escape her abusive husband and reclaim her life. One story, two versions: one takes place in the Land Without magic, one in the Enchanted Forest. TW for abuse and rape in both versions, though.
1. Land Without Magic

_Hi everyone. This is the version that takes place in the Land Without Magic. Featuring two guest stars: Floor Jansen (current singer of Nightwish and just felt right as a police officer) and Marina Sirtis (played Counselor Troi on Star Trek TNG, when I wrote the judge, I just knew it was her). And it turned into another Miami Medical crossover in the end, I just couldn't help myself. LG._

* * *

Boston:

Regina Mills happily walked through the street, her heart full of joy. She had graduated Harvard med school with honors, at the top of her class, and was on her way to her destiny. She would help people for a living, that had always been her calling.

The young woman just passed a café to her right when she shivered. It felt like daggers stabbing her back and made her spin around. All she saw was an old man staring at her hungrily. His predatory stare alone made her want to hide away, so she quickened her pace and almost ran away.

This was her, Leopold thought. This was the one he wanted.

* * *

Regina turned the key in the lock of her parents' home that evening, eager to tell her father the good news. At least someone cared about her. But she froze in the doorway when she felt that same stare again.

There he was, in the hallway, looking at her with a hunger, she wouldn't have been surprised if he licked his lips. "Regina, dear. Let me introduce you to your future husband. This is Leopold."

"No", was all she could manage. "But yes, dear. It's all been arranged." Regina desperately looked to her father, pleading with him to stop this. But he sadly shook his head. "I couldn't do anything, my sweet girl. I'm sorry." She turned to her mother again. "You can't do this!" "Oh, but I already have. You see, you need a husband who can give you a good life. Leo can give that to you. He is rich and powerful, and in need of a beautiful wife, something you will give him."

Before she knew it, a heavy sparkling and very expensive engagement ring was placed on her finger. It felt like a cage. The walls were closing in around her. "Now go pack your things, you're going home with Leopold." Regina shook her head in shock. Her mother had just given her away to this predator. She had never had a good relationship with her mother, who never gave her the feeling that she was at least adequate. But this?

* * *

New York City:

Her mother hadn't been exaggerating when she had said he was rich and powerful. Leopold White was an influential and popular businessman who was constantly in the public eye, one of the top 1%, with millions in his bank account and every possession the most luxurious there could be.

The huge building was towering over Regina's small frame. To anyone else, it looked like a palace. But to Regina, it looked like a prison. She didn't want to be chained to this man, whose very presence repulsed her. "Wedding preparations have already begun. Your dress fitting is in five days, ceremony in seven."

* * *

To any of the many guests, Regina looked like a goddess in her gorgeous white dress. But she just wanted to wake up from this nightmare. When the question for any objections was asked, she silently pleaded for her father to stand up. But he remained seated. The words "I do" felt like poison in her mouth. His lips were rough and demanding, just like the rest of the man. After he broke away, he leaned in to whisper in her ear: "Now you're mine."

That night, when he laid her on the bed and ripped away her dress, the nightmare only truly began. She knew what was coming, but tried to scramble away anyway. He grabbed her arm sharply, his nails digging into her skin. "Please no", she pleaded, but that resulted in a slap. "You have no right to tell me no. You are my wife, I own you. You will do as I say, and now I say perform your wifely duties." She cried as he pushed into her, his rough fingers roaming over her body. She spent the night hovering over the toilet, puking her guts out in repulsion.

* * *

She was basically a slave in that house. Leopold had forced her to pull back her job applications and to become a stay at home wife. She did the cooking, shopping and cleaning to pass her time while he was out. At least, when she was taking care of the chores, he couldn't call her into bed. That was the worst of everything she had to endure, and it happened too many times to count over the years.

Regina wasn't allowed to leave the house, other than for shopping trips and as arm candy. Whenever Leopold would go somewhere, he would force her to come with him as decoration for the public and for photos. Nothing but a mere trophy wife. He hung all these pieces of jewelry on her, making the young woman feel like a christmas tree.

Nothing in this marriage was her choice, not even her clothing. She was forced to wear long clothing that covered up most of her body. No matter the temperature, she would be covered from neck to toe. It just wouldn't do if the public saw the injuries she received on a daily basis. The scars that would never fade.

On the outside, Leopold was a good man. Well respected and with a perfect reputation, envied by the masses. But as soon as the doors closed behind the two, he showed his true face, the one of a beast. Many women envied her for having landed the best husband. Sometimes she wished for them to experience just one day with him, so they would finally shut up. But then again, she wouldn't wish that on anyone.

No matter what she did, he was never satisfied and always punished her. He restrained himself in order to not mar her face, for that would be too hard to cover up, but the rest of her body was a battlefield. There were times when she couldn't even stand upright because of the pain. Of course, there was no way he would let her see a doctor, so her broken bones and deep wounds healed badly over time.

He had unintentionally hit her face once, just once. But it left a scar, just above her lip. When he had seen the deep gash left by his ring after he had backhanded her so hard she had fallen, he had gone furious, for how dare she sport proof of his actions on her face? She received a cracked rib as punishment that night. And when asked about how she got that scar, he made up some well crafted lie about her clumsiness that had her falling into a vase.

She had tried to run away once. But he had found her within minutes and with a manic grin on his face. Then he had pressed a button on some device and her world had turned white from electricity running through her body. The current stopped as soon as he took his finger from the button.

The necklace that he had put around her neck before their wedding was the source. It contained a GPS tracker that had allowed him to find her and a remote controlled electroshocker. He used that thing often, sometimes just out of pleasure over seeing her squirm. Regina had tried to take it off many times. But it was firmly locked around her neck. Another chain imprisoning her.

* * *

The nights when he had been drinking were the worst. Like that one special night. One of her tasks during shopping was to make sure there was always enough beer in the house. But how was she supposed to have known that he would come home drunk, then go through 12 bottles and not have enough yet?

When she had to tell him there were no more, he hurled a empty glass bottle at her, smashing it over her head. In the time that she needed to regain her bearings, he was towering over her. His elbow met her ribs and she let out a moan as she heard something crack. Regina fell backwards, through the bedroom door, and landed on her back. The air was pushed out her lungs upon impact. She wanted to fill her lungs again, but his feet drumming and kicking into her made it impossible. There was blood on the ground, she didn't even know from which wound it was coming. He continued to kick and punch her, there was probably little uninjured space on her body by now.

Finally, he pressed the button and the current zapped through her. He didn't let go for minutes. This was the longest he had ever electrocuted her, and he wasn't about to stop. Her body went limp when she finally lost consciousness. With one final kick to her guts, he left her on the ground, bloody and bruised, wrote a note that he was going out with friends to drink and to have beer in the fridge by the time he got home.

* * *

Regina woke hours later. When she spotted the note, she felt the tiniest spark of relief, but made to dress quickly since she had no idea how long he would be gone. She didn't even know how long she had been out. She quickly sat at her vanity and expertly covered up the injuries with makeup.

She had never worn makeup before all this, she preferred the natural look, but years of threats and injuries to cover up had given her a lot of practice. The face she saw in the mirror, she couldn't even recognize anymore.

Once upon a time, a young girl of 21 years had stared back at her her from this mirror getting ready for the wedding. Despite everything, there had been hope in her eyes. But that girl was long gone. Years trapped in this golden cage with daily punishments and hateful words had slowly and painfully killed her. The only thing left was a shell of a woman that could barely hide her pain behind layers and layers of prized makeup.

Regina was 36. But she didn't look like it at all. With the makeup on, one could peg her for 25. Without it, she would guess around 50.

* * *

She went to the nearest store as fast as she could. She was weakened from her injuries, but loaded two crates of 12 into her bags. The way back to prison seemed to drag, just like the bags were dragging just barely over the ground. The brunette stumbled and almost fell from the strain.

Looking up, she spotted the sign she had been seeing for weeks now and always contemplated over checking out. _French & Lucas Family Law Firm_. Leopold was drunk and busy, maybe he wouldn't realize how long she would be gone - if he was even alert enough. There was hope that he was too drunk. So Regina made her decision. There wasn't really anything she could lose, how could it possibly become any worse? Abandoning the bags, she entered the building.

Ruby Lucas immediately saw the woman stumbling into the firm, catching her just in time before her knees met the ground. "Please help me", came the weak whisper from the brunette. Ruby led her to a couch and helped her lie down before calling her partner and getting a wet cloth. Carefully dabbing at the woman's face, Ruby was shocked to see the wiped away makeup reveal huge colorful bruises and deep angry gashes and scars. "Don't worry, we will help you", she promised. Regina was out cold soon and Ruby let her rest in a back room.

When Regina woke up, an old woman was there, gently stroking her hair. "Don't worry, you're safe", she said. "I'm Eugenia, my granddaughter called me here to watch over you. Want some soup?" Gratefully nodding, Regina took the offered bowl and spoon. However, she could only managed a few spoonfuls before she couldn't hold the bowl anymore and she set it on a side table before it would smash.

Leopold always hated it when she smashed things. Most of the times it was him hitting her, making her lose balance and fall, smashing whatever she had been holding or something that he pushed her against, but what difference did it make?

The woman who had found her before entered the room, followed by a brunette with a kind smile. "I'm Ruby Lucas, this is Belle French. We can help you if you let us. What do you need?", she asked gently. "I...I want to be free from my husband", Regina whispered. "Did he do this to you?", Eugenia asked, to which Regina only nodded. "Don't worry, we will make sure that you never have to see him again." Regina tried to smile, but immediately went ramrod straight when the current flowed through her. So he had noticed that she was gone.

Belle noticed the trembling that turned into shaking and touched the woman's arm. She could spot little lightnings coming out of her necklace. But no matter how hard she tried to remove it, it didn't do anything, only that she herself got a slight zap. "Get some isolating material!", she told Ruby, who ran from the room. The redhead returned with some material that the lawyers stuck between the necklace and the woman's skin, who could finally relax.

They took her on as a client, although she had no money on her own to pay them with. But Ruby Lucas just brushed her off. They wouldn't let a woman keep suffering in the hands of such a monster.

* * *

The two lawyers were a perfect team. Ruby was fierce and fought as tough as nails, while Belle French was smart and shrewd. But even with the two by her side, Regina shivered when she entered the courtroom for the divorce hearing. She couldn't stay in that room for long, she just couldn't. All she requested was a restraining order and the key to her necklace. Ruby Lucas also successfully contended for a tiny portion of his money. It was a small percentage, about 2% of his assets. But for Regina, it was more than she would need to live for a few years.

She was free. She was finally free. Regina had no idea what she was supposed to do with her life, but for now she just breathed in the fresh air in front of the courthouse's main entrance.

But the air went cold when she sensed his presence behind her. She spun around to face him, her tormentor of so many years. Leopold was furious that he had lost his most prized possession. He stared her in the eyes and menacingly whispered: "I will find you. I will always find you." Then he was gone. Regina shivered in fear. Leopold had influence and power. How was she supposed to escape him?

So she fled. In a hotel room which she paid in cash, she went to the bathroom and grabbed a pair of scissors. He had loved her gorgeous long locks. She hated them. They were the first to go. She cut her hair just above the shoulders and ended up with a wavy bob. Much better. Then, she discarded the high-class clothing she had been forced to wear for so long and put on some casual, cheap shirt and jeans. Next to go was her name. She found an organization that helped people with creating new identities. Now she needed to get as far away from here as possible.

* * *

Miami:

Yawning, Eva made her way upstairs to her apartment. She truly detested the night shift from the bottom of her heart. After climbing up the many stairs, she fished her keys out of her bag and opened the door. Inside, she threw the bag to the side and bent down to take off her shoes, all she wanted was to jump into her bed. That was when a familiar voice spoke, sending shivers down her spine. "There you are, my Regina. Now you're finally back where you belong. With me." He had found her.

He grabbed her arm harshly and possessively, spinning her around to face him. "I don't belong to you, I am my own person", Eva spat, scared to death. His face contorted in rage and his left hand which wasn't digging into her arm wrapped itself around her throat, squeezing her airways shut. "Wrong answer, my darling. You're mine." Black spots began to cloud her vision.

Her survival instincts kicked in. This couldn't be it. "You. Don't. Own...", she croaked, only for him to squeeze tighter. "Me!" She brought her foot up and kicked right into his gut. Eva had never liked wearing heels and she had no idea how she had gotten that odd idea to wear some tonight, but she was glad she had. Her heal dug into him and he cried out surprised, letting go of her throat. Eva crumbled to the floor coughing, trying to get her breathing under control.

She quickly grabbed the baseball bat that she kept under the shoe rack and got up, blocking his next attack. "The worm has grown a spine I see", Leopold taunted. He grabbed the bat and pulled hard, making Eva crash into the wall behind him. He was over her immediately, slamming her head into the wall, again and again.

Something cracked and shattered to the ground. It was the mirror he had been banging her head against. "Worthless weakling. You're nothing without me." "Maybe I never wanted to be something!" Her knee found its way to his crotch, causing him to stumble backwards. Which was enough time for Eva to grab her baseball bat and swing it hard.

He dodged the blow and kicked her legs out from under her, causing her to crash onto her back. Eva let out a painful hiss, but slung her feet around his and twisted them. He fell right next to her, but Eva was already up, baseball bat in hand. This time, he couldn't dodge it.

He would get up again, she knew. All she could do now was make for a run. But dizziness and a blurry vision made it hard for her move, so she stumbled, rather than ran, out.

She was almost at the stairs, when he grabbed her hair and held her back, turning her around again. The rage in his eyes had given way to utter insanity, which was even scarier. "If I can't have you..." The next blow came with such force, it pressed all the air out of her lungs. Shocked, Eva gazed down to see a dagger embedded in her chest. Shit. "...Then no one shall!" He kicked her in the stomach, causing her to lose balance and fall backwards.

She tumbled down several stairs before her head hit an edge. Her body did a somersault, keeping falling like a ragdoll. Almost at the bottom, she hit the wall and collapsed back onto the harsh concrete stairs.

* * *

A commotion had woken Emma Swan. Who the heck made such noise at 8am?! She was out her apartment door, ready to confront her housemate, when she saw the unmoving form of a woman lying still on the stairs. A man came running down the stairs and Emma was about to follow him, but then she took in the state of the woman.

Emma's eyes met the woman's unseeing ones and realization hit her. This was her! The woman she was looking for! She was too late! The man was forgotten as she fished her phone out of her pocket and called 911.

* * *

"Assault victim. Female, about forty years old. Severe trauma to the head, possibility of spine damage and stab wound to the heart", nurse Tuck shouted, wheeling the gurney into the trauma ward. Proctor was by his side immediately, quickly assessing the situation. "Get her to OR 2 now. Someone page Zambrano, we could use our resident heart expert here." "Uhm, Eva's not here, doc. She was on the night shift", Dr. Warren approached him from the side.

Proctor threw his hands up to curse when he heard the patient weakly mumbling. He got down to her level to try to figure out what she was saying. "Right...here" was all she could manage. That's when Doctor Proctor took in the extent of the mess this woman was. He gasped. "Eva?!"

Time seemed to have stopped in the trauma ward. This was their colleague, their friend, lying there on that gurney trying to hold on. This one was close to home. Proctor was the first to recover. "Get movin', people!"

* * *

Emma was pacing in the waiting room, when one of the doctors walked past her. "Excuse me, could you give me some news on Regina Mills, please?", she pleaded. But the fiery haired doctor just looked at her on confusion. "We have no patient by that name." "I rode here in the ambulance with her, how can she not be here?" "That was Eva you came in with. What's your problem?", Warren asked suspiciously.

"Right, different name. I'm sorry. So do you have any news from her?" "I'm sorry, but I can only tell her family about her condition. And as her friend, I'd know if she had any." Serena turned to leave for the break room, but Emma stopped her. "I'm a private detective, her parents hired me to find her." Serena stopped dead in her tracks. "What is that supposed to mean?"

They were interrupted by a police officer entering. "I was told I would find you here." She gestured to the blonde detective. "Since you are the one who found Miss Zambrano, I need to ask you some questions. Doctor, if you would leave us alone, please?" Emma held her hand up. "Wait. You said you're her friend?" At Warren's affirmative nod, she said: "She can stay, I think she should hear this as well." Serena sat back down next to Emma and the officer, who introduced herself as Detective Jansen.

"First, tell me your name and what you have to do with Miss Zambrano." "Private detective Emma Swan. I was hired by her parents to find her. And her real name is Regina Mills." Jansen furrowed a brow in confusion.

"She fled her abusive ex-husband. So I guess she got herself a new identity in order to not be found. Which I have to say she was pretty successful at, considering she made it for more than six years." "Do you know who did this to her?", the detective inquired. "Yes, I even saw him run out afterwards. I was gonna chase him, but I couldn't leave her. But he shouldn't be too hard to find. Her ex-husband is Leopold White."

* * *

Eva woke up to an annoying beeping noise. Who had set that damned alarm? Trying to turn it off, the brunette realized she couldn't move her arm. And started to panic. It all came back. Her eyes flew open frantically looking around. Her breathing as well as the beeping only grew more and more erratic until her eyes fell on Chris. "It's alright, you're safe here", he soothed, which helped calm her down. "Want some water?" She gratefully nodded and her friend carefully lifted a cup to her mouth for her to take small sips.

"So now you're even sleeping at the workplace. That's what I call dedication." That elicited a little wheezing laughter from Eva, but her expression quickly became a painful one. "Geez, am I stupid!", Chris cursed. "You have a couple broken ribs. I shouldn't have made you laugh, sorry 'bout that." "How bad is it?", she managed to croak. Part of her didn't want to know.

"You were brought in with a head trauma, a sickening amount of wounds and broken bones. Some of your broken ribs pierced into your lung and a dagger was sticking out of your heart. We just barely managed to bring you back a couple times when your heart just gave out. You gave us quite the scare, don't you ever do that to us again okay?" "I'll try", she muttered tiredly. They had probably pumped a hell lot of pain meds into her. She felt them pull her into a deep sleep and gave in.

* * *

"White? _The_ White?", Detective Jansen inquired. "Yes", Emma replied. "The one. They were in an arranged marriage for years before she managed to escape him. She disappeared after the divorce, scared of his wrath. Which was obviously a good call. She vanished without a trace. Her parents were worried and hired me to find her. She's really good, I didn't even have a lead for years. Then I finally managed to track her to Miami a couple of months ago, got a flat here. I continued my search for weeks with no success, turns out she was living in the flat above me this whole time. And the moment I finally find her, she comes flying down the stairs, almost killed by that beast. How could he find her before me? What kind of detective am I?"

The private detective had talked herself into a rage. Serena was too shocked to move a muscle, but the detective moved to take Emma's hand in hers. "You did find her though. Very persistent." "That doesn't heal what he's done to her. Mister Mills trusted me to find her and bring her back unharmed. I failed!" She paused. "Speaking of whom, I should probably call him." Jansen nodded.

Swan took her phone and dialled. It didn't take long for Mister Mills to answer. _"Detective Swan? Do you have anything?"_ Emma could hear the suspense in his voice. "I found her." _"Thank you thank you thank you! Where? Where is my daughter?"_ "Miami Medical, Trauma ward. He found her first." Two simultaneous gasps and the clatter of a phone being dropped later, Henry Mills' quivering voice came through the speaker again. _"We're on our way down there."_ "Okay sir, I will come get you when you're here." The line went dead.

* * *

When Eva woke up the next time, her friend Serena was sitting in the chair next to her bed. "Hey there." The corners of her mouth wandered up slightly, producing a small smile. "So,..." Serena broke the silence. "Regina, huh?"

"How do you know?" "The woman who found you was looking for you." Eva sighed. "Well I guess there's no need to pretend anymore anyway. I've lied about my identity this whole time. Everything I've told you about myself is a lie. I'm not Cuban, I'm from Boston. I only took some quizzes on the Internet that told you what nationality you look like and built the rest of my story around it. So if you want to hate me for it, that's fine." But Serena shook her head.

"Why should I hate you? You're my friend, Ev...Reg…" "I prefer Eva, actually. She's the one who found the strength to free herself when Regina was too weak." The corner of the brunette's mouth quipped up. "Guess that sounds totally crazy and schizophrenic, but I can live with that."

Truth was, Eva was like an armor to her. An armor that allowed her to hide her brokenness and enabled her to go on. "I don't care how you call yourself, or where you come from. You're my best friend." Serena gently squeezed her friend's hand before she had to leave and see other patients.

* * *

Cora and Henry Mills had driven for a full day, when they finally arrived at the Miami hospital. They had called the Private Detective ahead, but they couldn't see the woman. So they just walked up to the front desk. "Hello. We're here for Regina Mills." The nurse shook her head. "Sorry, but we don't have a patient by that name."

Cora threw Henry a confused glance, when Emma Swan arrived in the lobby. "There you are. Follow me." The pair followed her through a few corridors. "She changed her name", Emma explained. "I see." They stood in front of a door and Emma knocked lightly.

* * *

Chris lifted his head. "Sounds like you have visitors, Eva." "Why would I have any visitors? The only people in this world who'd care for me can let themselves in since they work at this hospital." Chris went to open the door and in came a blonde woman, followed by… her parents?!

At the sight of her daughter, Cora Mills gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "What have I done?", she cried into her husband's chest. The despair clashed over her like a tsunami. She finally realized what her actions had done to her only daughter, selling her to such a monster. All the money and status it had gotten Cora had definitely not been worth it. "I'm so sorry."

Henry Mills' gaze fell onto the hospital bracelet on his daughter's arm. "Eva Zambrano?" "It sounded nice in my head." "I'm so sorry I wasn't strong enough to stop all this", he cried.

"So, how is your life? What do you do?", Cora weakly tried to start a conversation. She had missed so much of her daughter's life and it was all her own fault. "I actually work here, as a trauma surgeon. So technically, this could be classified as sleeping on the workplace." A small smile of pride made its way onto Henry's face. Despite everything, his little princess had managed to find her way towards the calling she had had since she had been a child.

* * *

Weeks passed until the trial, enough time to find out that it had been an Internet video that had set Leopold on her trail. Famous rapper Xzibit had been a patient of hers at Trauma; and when he left, some fan had made a video, where Eva had been unlucky to be visible in the background. When he found out, he flew back to Miami to apologize to his lifesaver in person. She was the reason he was still alive and because of him, she had been in the same position as him.

By the time the trial came around, Eva had recovered far enough to be able to walk on crutches. She had found a lawyer in Miami she trusted. A fiery and fierce woman named Mal Feuer. She was sure she wouldn't have made it without Mal's support.

* * *

When Eva walked into the courtroom, she could see Chris and Serena sitting in the back to support her, next to her parents. She could use all the support she could get. Seeing Leopold alone made her stomach churn. When he walked in, he grinned at her as if he'd already won. Mal had warned her about his lawyer, Mr Gold. The man had never lost a case; he always got his clients out, no matter how guilty they were.

The whole time of the trial, Eva hoped for a hole to appear in the ground and swallow her. She gulped when she was called into the witness stand to give her account. Shakily, she got up and limped up front, her knuckles white from clutching the crutches. Mal gave her an encouraging nod before the questioning began. "Miss Zambrano, what is your connection to the defendant?" "He is my ex-husband. I got a divorce about six and a half years ago. It was an arranged marriage in which I had no say and he was abusive."

Gold stood up and cut in. "If that was so, why didn't you mention anything in the divorce hearing back then? I have the files right here." "I just wanted to get it over with, to get away from him, and I couldn't stand the thought of staying in the same room as him for any longer." "So you tucked your tail?" "After leaving the courtroom, he threatened me, that he would always find me. I was terrified. So I fled and created a new identity, hoping he would never find me." Her voice slightly broke at the end.

Mal shot Gold a murderous look. "If I may continue now? What did you request at your divorce hearing?" "I fail to see how that is of any import…" "Please refrain from interrupting, Mister Gold", Judge Sirtis cut in, "Or I have you removed from this case." "All I requested was a restraining order and the key to my necklace. He had it locked around my neck at all times. It was a GPS tracker and an electroshocker." At that, Cora stood up hastily to run to the bathroom.

"Miss Zambrano, please recount what happened the night the defendant attacked you." "I came home from a night shift at the hospital around 7:30. And he was there. He attacked me. And we fought. I had taken self-defense classes when I first got to Miami. But it wasn't of much use." She was shivering and breathing quick shallow breaths. She shook her head. Wonderful. She didn't even need this Gold to break her down, she managed that all on her own. Mal saw that she couldn't go on and the judge dismissed her from the stand.

Eva was shaking so hard, she had trouble making the few steps. Cora, who was done vomiting and had returned from the bathroom, saw that and was by her side, steadying her. She had tears in her eyes. Her poor little girl! And it was all her fault! She led her daughter back to her chair next to Mal to sit through the rest of this ordeal.

Everything around Eva passed in a blur. Proctor was called for testimony, to give an account of the injuries she had suffered in the attack. Of course, Gold tried to tear into him due to their friendship. But Proctor was hard to tear down. He confirmed that they were friends, but immediately added that Eva wouldn't have survived waiting for another trauma team to come on shift or being flown to another hospital.

Lots of influential friends of Leopold talked about what a good person he was, how they couldn't imagine him causing anyone any harm. Of course, he was a popular man, he had the hearts of many. They all painted him as the saint of a person and made her look like a desperate fool trying to bring him down with false accusations. It didn't look good.

"Now that we have listened to every account, is there anything the sides would like to add before a verdict?", Sirtis asked. "Yes, Your Honor." Mal stood up. "I happen to have proof of the attack. In her early paranoia, my client had a security camera installed in the house. I had hoped that we would not have to show this as the events were traumatizing to my client. But since it appears necessary, I can play the footage if you will." She threw Eva a concerned glance, hoping the woman could take it.

A murmur went through the crowd as a screen was rolled in. Mal started the video where Eva walked up the stairs. The crowd went silent when the attack began, only gasping sounds were audible. When he was slamming her into the wall, Cora buried her head in her husband's chest, unable to watch any further. "If I can't have you, then no one shall!", then the dagger and the kick and the fall, then the video ended. "Based on this evidence, I plead guilty on the account of assault and attempted murder", Mal said. Gold had grown pale. He might be a bad person, but even he could not take this viciousness. "Me too."

When Leopold was sentenced to life in jail, Eva could finally breathe freely. This day had taken its toll on her. She cried when she hugged her lawyer. Her friends and her father were next. Then, she uncomfortably allowed Cora to embrace her as well. Someone approached her from behind.

"Miss Zambrano? May I speak to you?" She didn't know this person, what could he want from her? "Hi. I'm Eddie, a friend of Mal. I was there for her today, and I saw the footage. And I have to say I was impressed with you. Despite the outcome, you stood your ground fiercely. You're a fighter. I'm a filmmaker and I would like to offer you a role in an action movie." Eva's eyebrow went through the roof. "Is that supposed to be a joke? If yes, it's not very funny."

* * *

It wasn't a joke. Eddie and his partner kept asking her until she gave in. The argument that swayed her in the end was when they said that she could be a role model for women in positions like her. So she accepted. They cast her as a totally badass doctor/fighter.

And when Eva walked the red carpet with her friends, it was the first time that she didn't feel uncomfortable in gorgeous dresses and jewelry. For she was not a decoration, she was herself. She would not let anyone hide her anymore. The elegant sleeveless black dress revealed the scars she carried proudly, like battle scars.

More role offers came in after that, but she declined every one of them. Because she was a doctor, that was were her passion lied.


	2. Enchanted Forest

_Here is the version that takes place in the Enchanted Forest. Snow has a big role in this one and I decided to make SnowQueen's relationship better._

_Gee, I'm just thinking back to when I planned this story back in January. I have so many ideas going on in my head that I have to note them all down seperately and this one (both versions) made it onto paper during a break at the state dance competition. The econ chapters I had planned to read were just too boring lol. I've been on summer break for a while, hence the lot of content I finish. But I have an exam on Thursday and college continues on Tuesday, so my nightly writing sessions will become scarce again. We'll see how much I will upload (I always have lots of stories going on at the same time and some are close to done)._

_Anywayyyys, enjoy version 2._

* * *

Regina was stoic and trancelike as she walked down the aisle. To any of the onlookers, she appeared to be floating in the air like an angel. But she was no angel. Her angel was up in heaven, with her soul in his arms. Daniel hadn't been the only one who died in that stable. For he had taken Regina's soul with him. She was dead inside.

So this was what she got for saving a young girl's life. If she hadn't saved Princess Snow White from falling off that horse, she wouldn't have been proposed to by the king and her mother wouldn't have murdered Daniel. The love of her life could still be alive. Regina hates herself for thinking like that. It wasn't Snow's fault. Or anyone else's. It must have been her own fault. For if she hadn't loved him, Daniel, sweet sweet Daniel, would be alive and well.

On her wedding day, she had thought to be dead. But how wrong she was! In her first night as queen, when the 17-year old had been told to perform her queenly duties, she had shattered even more. And with every day, she died even more.

* * *

King Leopold was said to be a good king. Kind and caring for his people. But the only people he was kind towards were Snow White and himself. Not a kind glance was directed her way, all she received were hate and pain. Regina knew, she was but a mere replacement-mother to Snow and a replacement-whore to the king. He hated her. For what, she did not know. She didn't know anything of herself that was not hateable, so she didn't even know what his problem with her was. Not regal enough for her mother, not enough for her father to save her and not enough for the king either. When had she ever been enough for anyone?

The only nights when he wasn't forcing himself on her were the ones when he passed out from drinking before reaching her chambers. Oh, how she hoped he would die from alcohol poisoning. Sadly, he never did. Being bedded by the king was the worst nightmare imaginable. There wasn't a time when it didn't hurt or when he didn't grunt his dead wife's name into her ear. At times, she didn't even reacted anymore when being addressed by her own name but reacted when the name Eva was mentioned.

Leopold wanted an heir, a male heir. And he wouldn't stop coming to her until she gave him one. But with every passing month were her belly remained flat, he grew more furious. He punished her for failing at the one task a woman had. Oh, what a convenience that dresses in their culture were always long sleeved and long, hiding most of her body apart from her face. The scars he inflicted on her mind were not visible to anyone anyway. He never knew that they did conceive many times. But the rough rape and the beatings the young queen took killed every child inside of her womb, before he even knew about them.

Regina was grateful for every time the princess wanted to spend time with her. Her heart ached every time the girl called her 'mother', but every moment spent with Snow White was one not spent with Leopold. The girl was the only one oblivious to her father's monstrous side.

Everyone else in the castle knew, it was pretty much impossible to not hear her screams and cries for help. But what were they supposed to do? He was the king, he could do anything he wanted and there was nothing they could do. Snow White was the embodiment of naivety, innocence and sweetness. Regina swore to herself that she would never destroy the girl's image of her father.

They bonded over the years. When they were together, Regina didn't feel as imprisoned in that golden cage. Without the princess, she would have probably gone through with her attempts to end all this. The girl was the only reason she was holding on.

* * *

It was about eight years into their marriage when Regina's belly finally showed a bump. She wanted to feel overjoyed because finally, one child had lived long enough inside her to show. But she also wondered if she could do that to a child, to bring it into a world as vicious as this.

Her decision was made for her when the latest of her husband's beatings after not satisfying him enough left her bleeding on the floor. She was curled in on herself, caressing her womb, pleading for her child to hold on, but the blood between her legs spoke lengths. It hurt more than the act, or the beating, she felt as if she was being ripped apart. She didn't leave her chambers - or rather her bed - for days, mentally too weak to even get up.

Snow was the one who came to visit after a week. "I came to see how you are, mother. I was worried about you", she said kindly after entering. "I am fine, Snow. Thank you for caring." At 18, Snow was still oblivious to the ways of the world. And today, Regina was thankful for it, because that meant that Snow didn't notice the lie in her dead eyes.

Snow's eyes traveled over her stepmother's flat belly. "What happened? The child-" "It died. I'm sorry for not giving you a sibling, Snow." She looked down in shame. She remembered the joy in the 18 year old princess' eyes when she had heard about her pregnancy.

The punishments became even worse. For how dare she lose his precious child? It didn't matter that his rape and the blows to her stomach had killed it, a king was never to blame. He tried even harder and punished her even harder. How were they supposed to know that that last miscarriage had left her forever barren?

* * *

The queen couldn't take it anymore. She would flee this castle once and for all. The maids were kind and understanding and the eldest of them agreed to borrow her a set of her servants rags. In the few days that passed, she organized for a horse to be conveniently placed below the queen's window.

In the dead of night, Regina was about to climb out of the window when the door opened. Oh no! It was Snow. "Mother? What are you doing?" The situation was obvious, there was no use in lying. "I am leaving, Snow. I cannot take this anymore and I must leave before I go crazy." It was over before it had even begun. Regina had hoped to get at least a few minutes of freedom.

Without hesitation, the princess spoke: "I want to come with you." What? Had she heard right? "Why? You're a princess, you are loved, you have the life anyone else dreams of." "But I want to be with you, mother. Father...he has been scary lately. There is this look in his eyes when he looks at me, it's the same one he has before entering your room. And he touches me in ways I don't like…" Regina's blood ran cold. She was used to his ways, had experience with them. But how could he do this to his daughter, his own flesh and blood?! "Change of plans, you're coming with me." Snow smiled overjoyed. "Wonderful, what is your plan?"

Regina looked down. "Admittedly, I have no plan. My plan was to run away as far as possible and never return. They would find me easily and I would be executed. But that's okay because I would have lived the last minutes of my life in freedom." She looked up to meet Snow's gaze. "My whole life, I've been a prisoner. First to my mother, then to your father. I'm done, I need to break out. I want to die knowing what freedom is. But now with you, we need a plan. But if you want to turn back, you can and I won't hold it against you." Snow shook her head. "I don't want to see this place ever again", Snow said and Regina looked up. "I'm with you, mother." The older woman smiled. "Meet me here in seven days. I will try to come up with something. Use the time to learn survival skills, you will need them."

Regina used the time to procure a second set of clothing and a second horse. She was lucky that the maid and the stable hand were loyal to her. Snow met her on the seventh night and they managed to sneak out unseen, riding off into the woods. They didn't stop until they reached a river where they stopped to let the horses drink. Then, they took off.

* * *

They rode for days, making stops to sleep and to eat and drink. The thick woods were a good hideout. But it was obvious that neither had any idea how to properly survive in a forest. Snow was not made for this life, she had no idea what she was doing. Regina however had always dreamt of this. Being surrounded by nature made her feel alive and as close to the life she had wanted as possible. She made it work, no matter how hard it was. The forest was dying due to lack of care. And thus, there wasn't much edible around. Regina was used to being deprived of food for days as punishment. But Snow wasn't.

* * *

After weeks of riding and hiding, they reached a village far enough away from the castle for them to dare enter. Unable to go any further, Snow plopped down on the road. They had to resort to begging. But who would give them anything? The village was poor, why would anyone give away what little they had for two filthy street rats? Finally, after hungrily staring into her cleavage in a way that sent Regina back into her personal hell, an onlooker gave Regina a loaf of bread. She stroked Snow's back when the girl hungrily devoured the bread.

When they had thought this village was far enough, they had obviously been wrong. A murmur was heard when the king's guards entered the village. They had to go! Unable to reach their horses, the two women fled into the woods. The found a little river to still their thirst.

* * *

Afterwards, the two trekked through the woods once more, now on foot. Leopold would not give up before he had found them, so Regina decided that they would need to keep moving. When they absolutely couldn't go on, she snuck into nearby villages and begged for scraps of food. All the villages they passed were poor and barely keeping up. Paying the insanely high taxes Leopold had imposed was nearly impossible. But the people were still kind as some gave her bits and pieces, enough to get by.

Luckily, the dirt in her face made her unrecognizable, for wanted posters with hers and Snow's faces were plastering every tree. Her portrait wasn't very accurate. Of course, it was easier to turn the people against an ugly and mad woman than against her pretty face. It did have its advantages since she was less likely to be recognized. It was what was written underneath it that brought tears to Regina's eyes. _"WANTED: The Evil Queen. CHARGES: high treason and kidnapping of Princess Snow White. Whoever finds and returns both to the castle will be rewarded in gold."_ She was no kidnapper. Nor was she evil. The words cut deep.

Regina did her best to provide for both of them. Snow had somehow procured a knife, which made both women feel at least a little safer.

* * *

They'd been on the move for months when Regina finally deemed it safe to go to her old house. It would have been the first place the guards would have searched, and then they would have waited for her to show up. But now, enough time had passed for her to deem it safe. They still had to be careful, so they snuck up to the manor in the dark of the night. A lone window was illuminated and Regina immediately recognized the shadow to be her father. Giddily, she knocked on the door.

When Henry opened the door, he almost couldn't believe his eyes. His daughter, his little angel, was home. She quickly snuck into the house pulling Snow with her and closed the door. Then she practically threw herself at her father. "I'm home, daddy. I'm home."

The three sat by the fire with a mug of tea each, when Henry asked: "What happened, my darling?" Regina told him everything, starting from the moment she sent her mother through the looking glass with Rumplestiltskin's help. When she was done, he wrapped his arms around his daughter.

"It's okay, my darling. You're safe here. The guards left here about two weeks ago when they thought you wouldn't show up and they would be better off searching elsewhere. I will make rooms ready for you two." Snow smiled, one room would be enough. During their time in the woods, they had always slept in each other's embrace. Because together, mother and daughter felt safe. They shared their body warmth on the cold ground and her mother's body was almost as comfortable as the pillows in Snow's bed.

* * *

However, when Snow woke, she found herself alone in the bed, her body carefully snuggled into a few pillows. She found her stepmother on a hill, hunched in front of a grave. Carefully approaching, she noticed the name on the tombstone. "Daniel?"

Regina looked up, tears in her eyes. "I wasn't honest with you, Snow. Daniel didn't leave. He was murdered by my mother the night we were trying to run away. She ripped his heart out and crushed it in front of me." Horror washed over Snow's features. She realized: "It's my fault". But Regina shook her head. "No, Snow. It wasn't your fault. Never blame yourself for it. This is all on mother." "But it was my fault. You asked me to keep your secret and I didn't. I told your mother. She said how worried she was about you and I didn't want you to lose your mother. So I told her."

Regina couldn't move, she was paralyzed in shock. Snow grew afraid from the frozen stare in her mother's eyes. "Say something. Please!" "Leave", was all Regina could manage. But Snow didn't move. "I need to be alone." Finally, Snow left to return to the manor. Regina collapsed next to her dead love's grave. What was she supposed to do now?, she asked herself as she gently caressed the letters on the tombstone.

The brunette only returned hours later, when it was already dark outside. Snow was right there, throwing herself in her arms. "I'm so incredibly sorry!", she cried. "I forgive you, Snow. I used the time to come to terms with it. How could you know that she would kill him? Besides, not much could stay hidden from mother. She would have found out, if she didn't know already. Don't blame yourself." Snow broke into tears. "Thank you."

* * *

Regina was at the stables when she heard horses, a lot of them, approach. The clinking of armor was obvious, the king's guards had come. She had just enough time to duck behind the wooden door. They didn't see her as they strode up to the front door of the manor. She needed to get to Snow and escape. But how was she supposed to sneak past the knights?

Then there was the familiar sound of the door being opened. The squeak that followed made Regina's blood run cold. Snow had been the one to open the door. The knights were thinking that they were saving the princess, they had no idea how threatened the girl felt by the men surrounding her with raised swords. How could they, there was no way the king would have told anyone the truth. "Where is she?", asked one of the knights. "Where is the bitch? You're safe from her now, you can tell us."

Regina couldn't let her daughter alone there. She didn't even think when her surroundings changed and she stood between Snow and the army with raised hands, a soft shimmering light erupting from her hands and freezing the movements of the soldiers. "Hide, Snow!", she called to the girl, who scrambled away.

"A witch", shouted the soldiers, "a demon!" Only then did Regina notice what she had done. Her expression became one of shock and disgust. She had magic? She hated magic! It made people do terrible things! She ran into the manor in panic. It couldn't be! She didn't want this!

* * *

Henry found his daughter on the floor of her old room, rocking and staring at her hands as if there was something on them. "What is it, my darling?", he asked concerned. "I have magic, daddy. I'm a monster like mother", she cried. "I don't wanna be like her, daddy, I need it gone!"

Snow found the pair in tears, having overheard. "Why do you want it gone? Your magic can help us." Regina shook her head. "Magic is evil, Snow. It corrupts. People use it to do unspeakable things." "Then you haven't seen any good magic. You can use it for good, like the fairies." "If good fairies truly existed, I would have been taken away from my mother years ago", Regina snorted. "And how would my magic be good if it is inherited from my mother who only ever used it for dark deeds? There has to be a way to get rid of it."

Henry sighed. "Why don't you have a look in your mother's spellbooks? The magic she performed was so sinister, I'm willing to bet she had something to steal magic in there." Regina shivered. That meant having to go into Cora's vault. The dark clammy place of horror where she had been forced to spend nights as punishment when she had been bad.

* * *

The thumping of the hearts still had the same effect on her as it had all those years ago. She wanted to scream and run out, but she needed to do this. She was horrified at how quickly her heart's pace matched the pace of the ones in the wall, pumping in sync with her greatest horror. Shakily, the brunette took the book with the heart in the middle of the cover she had seen her mother use many times. There were others, so she grabbed those as well, before scrambling out of this place as if the devil was after her.

* * *

"Are you really sure you want to do this?", Henry asked concerned when they were back in the manor. "If you were born with this magic, then it's a part of your soul. Do you really want to rip out a part of yourself? Please, my dear. Please reconsider this." "You could learn how to wield your magic and protect us better", Snow said. Regina didn't take her eyes off the book she was holding with her shaking hands.

"And who would I ask to teach me? The fairies that have been ignoring me my whole life? Or the Dark One, like mother did?" It was true, there was no other known sorcerer in this land that she could ask for help. That might have something to do with the fact that the king saw witchcraft and sorcery as something demonic and the punishments were harsh. However, his disdain for magic was nothing like what Regina felt for herself. She opened the book.

There was no spell that could take her magic in it. But her attention was drawn in by the other spells and the young woman had to realize with dread, that she longed to try them out. Disgusted with herself, she shoved the book away from herself. Snow caught it before it could land in the fire burning in the fireplace. But she got burns on her hand in the process. Regina was by her side in an instant and took the burnt hand in hers. A warmth flew through them and the burns receded.

Realizing what she had done, Regina whispered "I'm sorry" and ran out of the room. It had felt good. But evil magic wasn't supposed to feel good, what was wrong with her?! She wanted to run outside and scream her soul out, but the freezing spell would have worn off by now and the soldiers would have returned to the castle with news of their whereabouts. They would have to leave early in the morning.

* * *

A cold shiver running down her spine made her aware of another presence. "Long time no see, dearie. I was wondering how long it would take you." Absolutely delightful. The Dark One in her room was just what she had needed now. "I don't want to make any deals and I have nothing to offer you, Rumplestiltskin. There is nothing for you here", she tried. "Ohhhhh, but there is." The scaly man scared her to death.

"I can teach you how to use your magic." "If you can't help me remove my magic, then there is nothing you can offer me." "Remove your magic? Are you insane? Do you want to rrrip your soul apart? Nonono dearie. Your magic stays right where it is. You see, you have a lot of power. But you need a teacher. I have taught your mother before you, and if you're only half as good as her, I can help you achieve great things. But between the two of us, you're much more powerful than her." Regina shook her head. "No. I don't want to be taught by you. I don't want to become like my mother." Rumplestiltskin shook his head now.

How was he supposed to get through that thick skull? He realized that his plan hadn't worked. He had hoped that Cora would corrupt her child with so much darkness, that he would only have to mold her into his chess piece to cast his curse. But Regina's good and strong heart had foiled his plan. The curse could not be cast and he would have to find another way to get to his son. He was determined and would never lose sight of his goal, but even Rumplestiltskin knew when he was fighting a lost battle. Regina released a shaky breath when the scary scaly man vanished from the room.

Snow gently knocked on the door. "Go away, Snow. Your father is right, I'm evil. You shouldn't be anywhere near me, I'm too dangerous." But Snow wouldn't listen. "No, you're not. You healed me. You used magic for good. I believe in you and so should you. I said it before we escaped and I'll say it again. I'm with you."

Regina gave her daughter a weak, sad and scared smile. "It felt good when I used it. I liked it. And that can't be good." "Of course, it can be good to like healing someone. You have a good heart, mother. If anyone can be a protector, it's you." They fell asleep in each other's arms, like every night. The next morning, Henry woke them early, knowing full well that they needed to leave.

"I love you, my dear. Stay safe." Regina didn't want to let go, but she had to. "But daddy, they know we were here. Who knows what he will do to you?" "You could come with us", Snow suggested. And thus, they became a group of three.

* * *

They lived in the woods once more, with Regina practicing her magic to get them by. Had they gone into any village, they would have seen that witchcraft had been added to her charges. With her mother's spellbooks in her father's bag but never touched, Regina trained herself in defensive and nurturing magic.

After realizing that magic was emotion, she advanced pretty quickly. She only had to control her mind and emotions and focus on good ones and could achieve many things. Healing and restoring felt wonderful. She managed to conjure food and water and after a while create a bubble that hid and protected them at night.

But they knew very well that they couldn't keep living like this. They were headed to Sherwood Forest to request asylum. Considering that Arendelle was very secluded and Camelot was wary of magic, it was the best option. Regina had heard of powerful sorcerers in Oz, but they had no way of getting to that realm. So they walked to Sherwood. The inhabitants of the villages they passed on their journey would wake to find their once dead crops growing again.

* * *

The citizens of Sherwood were very welcome. Snow, Regina and Henry entered the second village they came by behind the border, the first one being the one that would be searched first if Leopold dared to send his army into neighboring kingdoms.

It felt wonderful to not have to hide and be able to just be. The villagers were friendly and welcomed the travelers with open arms. They allowed them to stay in their village as long as they needed and wanted. The three found that they liked it there and didn't really want to leave.

When Robin Locksley, the owner of the local tavern, offered her a job, Regina accepted in a heartbeat. It gave her the chance to earn money to afford real produced and cooked food and not have to conjure things with her magic. The job also came with housing in beds that felt like heaven after sleeping on the ground for so long.

Regina kept practicing her magic to a point where she felt comfortable with it. There were no laws against magic in Sherwood, but she preferred to practice in secluded places where she wasn't being too on the nose. But when Robin's pregnant wife fell ill and was on the verge of death just before her due date, Regina decided that it was time to come out of hiding. All the things she had healed before didn't compare to this illness. It took Regina lots of time and energy, but Marian survived and had a healthy boy. And when the pair asked Regina to become little Roland's godmother, she agreed in a heartbeat. From that point on, she became the village's healer. The old one had died a long while ago and they hadn't found a replacement until now. The three relocated to the healer's hut. Weeks turned into months and live was good.

* * *

Regina was collecting firewood close to the hut when she heard a scream from the river. She had sent Snow to get water from the river. There was a tug at her heart and Regina could practically feel that something terrible had happened. She transported herself - she had practiced that skill to a point where she was confident - to the riverside, but there was no sign of her daughter. The only thing she could spot was an emblem on the ground. Leopold's emblem. They had her. They had her daughter!

"Daddy, I need mother's spellbook!", she said in panic as soon as she materialized inside the hut. "They have Snow!" Henry quickly found the book for her. Regina raced through the book, frantically trying to find something that would aid her. Her defensive magic couldn't do anything, she needed to go into the offense for this one. Regina was intelligent and had a marvelous memory, she practically scanned the pages with her eyes. "Thank you, daddy", she said before vanishing.

* * *

She materialized in the Grand Hall. A dozen guards immediately swarmed her, but were frozen to the spot with an instinctual flick of her wrist. The thrones were empty, where could he have taken her? Closing her eyes, the brunette sharpened her senses. Then she heard the cries. "No father, please!" That was enough.

Her magic took her to Leopold's chambers in the blink of an eye. She screamed at the sight. "Not my daughter, you bastard!" She made clawings motions with her hands, prying him off Snow. The princess stumbled away with tears in her eyes that enraged Regina even more. "You wanted an Evil Queen? Happy to oblige." Leopold hissed in pain as his crotch caught fire. "How can you do this to your own flesh and blood?" She shook her head in disgust. She wanted to kill him for what he had done. But a part of her was not ready to cross that line. She could only knock him out while she checked if Snow was alright.

* * *

Snow made the truth about his false accusations and treatment against Regina public and Leopold was thrown into the dungeon where he would rot for the rest of his life. That left the kingdom without a king.

It was clear to Regina that Snow would step up. The time in the wilderness had caused the girl to grow up and mature. The kingdom would be well off with her, she thought. All she wanted was to be free from this place.

* * *

Applause erupted as she placed the crown on Snow's head in the ceremony. She made to step down the few steps, but a hand caught her arm. "You are still queen. Will you rule alongside me and work together as equals to restore the lands to their former beauty?" Regina gulped. "You are the rightful heiress, Snow. Why would you want me to stay?" "I am not experienced in state affairs and everything that comes with it, but you are. But most importantly, because you are my mother and I want to have you by my side", Snow smiled.

Unable to comprehend how the new queen could want that, Regina exclaimed: "You've seen me use my magic. How can you want something like that around you?" "You've been doing it to protect me. How can something done to help someone be bad? Without you, he would have…" "Done to you what he's been doing to me. I couldn't let that happen to you, my dear." "You are a protector. Protect our kingdom like you protect me." Regina swallowed the tears that threatened to break the dam. "Alright."

* * *

The two queens ruled over the kingdom, which thrived under them. King Leopold hadn't cared for his subjects and they had suffered greatly. The queens dramatically cut the taxes and emptied the palace's treasuries to give to those in need. Regina used her magic to restore the nature that had been devastated due to war and disease, made barren fields grow with crops to end the citizens' hunger.

Witchcraft was decriminalized, those that possessed magic finally dared to show it. It took a few weeks for the first to ask her if she would teach them. And thus, the East Wing of the castle was turned into a school of magic.

When Regina had agreed to stay, she had done so under the condition that she would not set a foot into her old chambers. She had chosen an empty room on top of the highest tower, where she could get some peace and quiet when she needed it, and had magically transformed it to her liking. Her father had moved into the castle as well, he would never abandon his daughter again.

* * *

It was a day like any other in the castle of Misthaven. Regina was walking down the hall after breakfast with her father and her daughter. There had been a time when it had felt odd to think of Snow as her daughter, since Regina was only seven years older than her and they could rather be sisters. But she deeply loved the girl, and at some point, it had just felt normal. She just passed a hallway mirror when she spotted movement in the corner of her eye. The queen stopped and backtracked.

There was a woman in the mirror, looking at her. She had bright red, curly hair and was wearing a pretty brown gown. And she was shyly smiling at her. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to talk to you. Is this a bad time?" Regina found herself shaking her head surprised. Noticing the hallway in the background, the woman smiled. "Could we move this somewhere private?" "Sure." Regina walked to her room and sat at her vanity where the woman appeared again. "So, who are you?"

"I am Zelena, the Witch of the West", the woman introduced herself. "West of what?" "West of Oz", Zelena smiled. Regina raised an eyebrow. "I am originally from the Enchanted Forest, but my mother abandoned me in the woods as an infant. A cyclone picked me up and brought me here." "I'm sorry to hear that", Regina said, but Zelena shook her head.

"It took me a long time, but I realized that I was lucky. My mother was not a good person. She had another daughter after me. One she kept and gave everything to. When I found out, I wanted to take everything my sister had. I used to be green with envy of her. But I learned how to spy on people and what I saw changed me. All this planning to destroy her and then, I just wanted to scoop her up in my arms and protect her. Out of the two of us, I definitely got the better deal, because I didn't have to live with Cora."

Regina's mouth fell open. Had she misheard something? How could this be? "Hi, sis", Zelena smiled shyly. It was true. She had a sister.

* * *

From that point on, they would talk regularly via mirror. But both sisters wanted more, they wanted to meet in person. Zelena managed to acquire a magic bean that she planted into a field. With a little magical enhancement, the beans were ready to be harvested within weeks and the sisters finally embraced each other for the first time.

Snow was excited to meet her aunt and Henry found he cared for the woman. She was not of his blood, but he was his daughter's family and that made her his family. Regina showed her sister around the realm before the older sister took her to Oz.

Oz was a beautiful place, protected by the sisterhood of witches. Zelena introduced her to them and Regina found the other three as kind as her sister. They were impressed by her teaching others magic and gifted her a few books she could use. When it was time to say goodbye, Zelena gave half of the beans to Regina, so they could see each other whenever they wanted.

The books from Oz and her mother, as well as the ones she had found hidden away formed the base of Regina's own library. Over the years, it would be filled with many more she collected from various places. She even received some from the Dark One's castle, in exchange for one of the magic beans. Rumple used it to travel to the Land Without Magic to reunite with his son and thus, the Dark One disappeared from the realm.

* * *

Other kingdoms had believed Misthaven to be weak after the transition of power and had had their armies lying in wait for the order. They had soon tucked their tail after learning of Misthaven's protection with magic. Their kings deemed it wiser to strike up alliances with them. Strong alliances and good relations with the neighboring lands created a long lasting peace in the realm.

When King George visited their castle for negotiations, he brought his son David with them. The connection between Snow and him was instant. The kingdoms were merged through marriage and the couple moved to David's palace. They wanted to give Regina the chance to expand her school of magic over the whole castle.

* * *

With the new size, the school would need a name. Regina named it _Storybrooke School of Magic_ and it became the biggest and best magic school in the world, with partner schools in many places, such as Hogwarts, Ilvermorny and Alfea. She also had students from other lands. Hermione Granger from England was amongst the first international students; Arendelle opened its doors and borders to join the united realms after Queen Elsa had learned how to control her magic in Storybrooke.

While Snow still asked her for guidance occasionally, Regina had officially withdrawn from the leadership business in order to concentrate on her school and her profession as protector of the realm.


End file.
